#31: Analysis of the LPGA’s Drive On Campaign — Presentation Detail — Celebration of Scholars

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James Ripley

#31: Analysis of the LPGA’s Drive On Campaign

Name: Samantha Plankey
Major: Public Relations
Hometown: Appleton, WI
Faculty Sponsor:
Other Sponsors:
Type of research: Senior thesis
Funding: NA

Abstract

This thesis analyzes the LPGA’s Drive On social marketing campaign through the lens of Social Marketing (SM) theory. SM theory is a collection of theories that outline how to effectively promote a social marketing strategy via mass communication such as radio, billboards, social media, books, and film. The most common use of social marketing in today's society is through social media (McDermott, 2020). While all marketing seeks to influence behavior, social marketing is different from commercial marketing because its general purpose is not to influence the purchase of a product or service; instead, it is to get the public to either accept or reject a certain behavior to benefit the target audience and general society as a whole (Communication Theory, 2018).

This analysis demonstrates the value of social media as a powerful influence tool for public relations professionals. Public relations professionals utilize social media in multiple ways. Social media helps them fulfill a more nuanced role by assisting with relationship management, identifying brand threats, and engaging with stakeholders. Social media continues to have a profound effect on public relations, creating new opportunities and challenges for brands. It allows brands and consumers to engage across a variety of channels in real-time, which has led to an increased demand for brands to address consumer inquiries quickly and effectively. This analysis evaluates Drive On, the LPGA’s social marketing strategy active on social media, that encourages the public to drive on and break barriers, through the lens of SM theory.

Poster file